This Is War
by Winter's Lightning
Summary: In the chaos of war Axel is desperate to keep his friends alive.  30 Seconds To Mars: "A warning to the people, the good and the evil... This. Is. War."
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

**Pairings:** Axel/Roxas in later chapters

**Author's Note: **So I've been absent for a while in the wake of my computer dying. But I'm back now and trying to get back into the swing of things. After losing chapters of the library I got a bit disheartened, but hope that someone out there enjoys this story... it is only a short introduction, but I have a few plans set in place. Let's see how this goes .

30 Seconds To Mars – This Is War:

"_A warning to the people, the good and the evil... This. Is. War."_

The blare of the cannons was deafening. Axel reacted instinctively, hurling himself over the edge of a nearby trench as fire and gunpowder exploded behind him. Face down in a freezing mix of churned up snow and blood, he felt the wave of liquid fire roar overhead.

Wrenching his face out of the slush and gore he spluttered. _Shit. _Wiping his face did little to clear away the blood and his hands were soaked in the same putrid mess, frozen and numb.

His side throbbed, as blood soaked steadily through his uniform. _Shit._ _**Shit.**_ Snatching up his rifle, he threw his head back.

"**DEMYX!**"

His ears rang as another blast erupted to his left. He shielded his face as earth and blood rained down on him.

"**ROXAS!** **DE-!**" He coughed violently, barely noticing the blood on his lips, and dragged himself to his feet. Half blind, he stumbled towards the trench wall. His foot caught on the leg of a dead solder, and he noted the dark red uniform. Enemy trench. _Fuck_.

With a practiced movement, Axel drew back the bolt on his rifle and checked the bullet was primed. He was alone for now, but that wouldn't last.

No-man's-land loomed above him. An endless labyrinth of barbed wire, screeching bullets, explosions, and broken bodies. He breathed hard and dug his fingers into the frozen earth of the trench wall. Dimly, he heard the regimented, advancing footsteps of The Kingdom's soldiers. Everything in him screamed to stay there, pressed against the wall. But his friends were out there, dead or dying. And what did it matter? He was dead here anyway.

With a grimace he hauled himself over the top, legs scrambling to find purchase on the wall as adrenaline pumped through his veins.

A barren warzone unfurled before him. Frantically, he searched the ground for bodies he recognised, and charged forwards in a stooped crouch, rifle clutched tightly to his chest.

"**AXEL! BEHIND YOU!**" He heard the voice just in time, throwing himself to the ground as a bayonet's blade whistled through the air where his head had been just moments before. Rolling onto his back, he shot his attacker square between the eyes, and watched him fall sideways. Axel groaned as his side split open, and clutched at his wound. Out of nowhere, Xigbar came barrelling through the smoke, firing left and right like a trigger happy madman.

"Axel my man! Nice of you to make it!"

Axel cast him a quick salute. "How the Hell are we doing, Xigz? _Please_ tell me we're annihilating the fuckers and will be home in time for lunch."

Xigbar lined up his gun and casually shot out the kneecap of a charging Kingdom soldier. "No such luck, Firecracker. They've brought in re-enforcements."

"Shit."

"Yep."

"What about the others? You seen them?"

"Nope. I – SHIT!" Xigbar shoved them both sideways as a stray grenade rolled out of the mist towards them.

The heat was incredible, all consuming and deadly. Stunned, Axel stared at the limp body covering his own.

"No... Xigz... Xigbar!" His face was charred and red. Shaking his shoulders, Axel felt hysteria bubbling within him. "Xigbar, come on man, wake up! WAKE UP!" His heart leapt as his friend let out a low groan.

"Fuchhhh."

Axel almost laughed. "That's it! Come on you crazy fucker, let's get out of here." Strapping his rifle to his back he heaved Xigbar's arm over his shoulder. Pain shot through his side. _No. _He took a step forwards and nausea swelled as a strange cold fingers laced across his side. _Not now._ He shifted Xigbar's weight and forced himself onwards. Dimly, he thought he heard his name.

His legs shook with every step, and he knew that the med trench was on the other side of Hell. Knees buckling, he collapsed into the dark snow, one thought lingering as the sounds around him faded to a dull hum. '_Roxas._'


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: sorry this has taken a while, but here's chapter 2. Please let me know if you enjoy it! Thanks.

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Training was hard, but Axel was harder. Drills and a brutal routine were nothing in the face of his past. Axel's real problems came in the form of an angel faced brat that didn't know to leave well enough alone.

New faces meant little to Axel. The barracks were always littered with fresh eyed new recruits, eager to show what they were made of. They didn't last long, and Axel had learned early on that dead weight was nothing but hassle.

No, much better to stick with the veterans. The soldiers who had killed, been shot, stabbed, crawled through Hell a thousand times and lived to tell the tale. Those were the ones to rely on.

These were The Romans. A rag-tag group of soldiers that had been there from the very beginning. Xigz, and Xal were still foot soldiers, sticking it out with Axel on the front line. Others had moved on, risen up the ranks or found their calling. But once you were given a number, you were a Roman for life.

Revered and respected by old and new recruits alike, Axel never expected a kid like Roxas would join their ranks.

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Axel awoke to the dull buzz of conversation. He felt like shit. Cautiously, he moved his hand to the wound on his side, to find it firmly bound.

"Ah, you're up." A familiar voice surfaced through the hum of noise.

"Zex?" He cracked open an eye and winced as the doctor shone a bright light directly into it. "Fuck."

"Responses seem normal. Welcome back." A scream sounded, and Zexion tried futilely to clean his smudged glasses before turning towards his next patient, blood stained surgeons coat billowing behind him.

"Wait." Axel croaked, trying to sit up. He fell back with a hiss of pain, and gritted his teeth. "Xigbar! What happened to Xig-"

"You called?" Axel turned, and there he was. Face half covered in bandages, left arm resting in a sling. He'd made it.

Incredulous, Axel said the only thing he could think of.

"You fucking martyr twat!" He spluttered out a cough as his chest heaved. "What were you thinking back there you bloody – "

Xigbar laughed as Axel broke off in a choke, then winced as it pulled at his bandages. "Ah, take it easy, you'll pull something. Besides, It's not so bad."

"Not so bad?" Axel made sure to breathe slowly. "You look like a bloody Egyptian mummy!"

Relief and guilt swirled in Axel's chest as he looked at his friend. Xigbar was virtually indestructible on the battlefield. He'd only got in this state because he'd been looking out for Axel. With one arm down, he was in no position to fight, and who knew what was hidden behind those bandages.

"How bad is it Xigbar... Really?"

Xigbar sighed and sat heavily on the end of the bed. "Lost an eye mate. Zex patched me up good though, says the arm's not broken, but I'd best not move it for a bit. Most of the burns should fade..."

Axel covered his face with his hands, re-playing the fallen grenade in his mind. If only he'd been faster, if only he'd _noticed_...

"I should have seen it. I could have –" He looked up at his friend, "I'm so sorry, Zigbar, I –"

"Ah cram it, Firecracker." Xigbar tried a crooked grin, gingerly patting the bandages across his eye. "We've both seen worse, and chicks dig scars, am I right?"

Axel smiled. "Then they're gonna _love_ you."

They were interrupted as Demyx came crashing through the med-tent's entrance, dragging a limp body behind him. He was covered from head to toe in dirt and blood, a gory reminder of the constant battle being waged outside the med-tent's walls. Voice horse, he screamed out for help.

"**MEDIC!** I NEED A MEDIC! ... Augh!" He adjusted his grip on the young soldier in his arms, searching desperately for some space in the packed tent." Axel gripped his side and waved him over.

"DEM! Here, take this."

Demyx's eyes shone with relief as Axel slid slowly off the bed, being careful not to stretch his side and split his wound again. Demyx wasn't made for war, and the change in his face over the years had been hard to see. But as Zexion's apprentice, at least he was off the front line. It was Dem's job to bring back the wounded, and do patch up jobs out in the field when he could. Watching a small patch of blood appear on his bandages, it suddenly dawned on him what a bad state he must have been in when he'd been brought in. If help hadn't come, he would have died out there, in the chaos and gore. He made a mental note to thank Demyx for hauling his doomed ass out of there.

Demyx rused over, bright smile gleaming through the grit and grime.

"Good to see you back on your feet, Axe. You too Zigz."

Xigbar chuckled to himself. "Take more'n that to keep us down!" Axel watched as he used his good arm to help Dem lift the soldier's body onto the bed, suppressing the nagging feeling that he was forgetting something very important. Zexion was over in a flash.

"What we got?"

"Bullet. Shoulder. No exit wound."

As they veered into medical jargon, a thought slowly occurred to Axel. In dawning horror he scanned the rest of the tent, and asked "where's Roxas?"

Zexion and Demyx grew quiet, hands frozen over their newest patient.

"What is it?" Axel wet his cracked lips, tasting salt and blood, "Where is he?"

His world seemed to grind to a halt, voices fuzzy and disconnected, as his mind was filled with a panicked mantra of "No. No. No..."

Demyx closed his eyes, and whispered. "Didn't Xigbar tell you?"

"What? Tell me what?" He clutched at his friend, ignoring the white-hot pain lancing through his side. "Tell me what, Xigbar?"

Xigbar hung his head. "Axel I – "

"Where is he? Tell me!"

Xigbar's face grew pale. "They took him, Axe... The Kingdom's men came, and they took him."

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End file.
